Hive Guard (Malar)

I. Dimensions:

Height:

2.3 m

Depth:

0.7 m

Breadth:

1.2 m

Weight:

0.23 metric tons.

II. Type:

One Invid, all-weather general-purpose power armor. Note that the cockpit is too small to accommodate some of the larger Invid, and all Invid must retract their snout-like head between their shoulders to fit into the mecha.

III. Service History:

The service entry date is unknown. The earliest confirmed recording of an Malar mecha was taken in 1754. At that juncture the Malar was already in service in large numbers.

Presumably, the Malar remains in service with the Regess' faction of the Invid. It is possible that a variant for humanoid Invid is under development.

IV. Propulsion:

1 x IEBA-1 thruster port, power estimated to lie between 2.5 and 3.9 kN, but known to be limited to short duration flights (less than 5 minutes) only.

V. Performance:

Protoculture cell endurance : Between twenty and thirty hours in a combat environment, about one hundred and fifty hours while on patrol or functioning as a worker.

VI. Electronics:

1 x IMBA-1VS visual sensors capable of up to 4x magnification, but with notorious low spectral resolution. Night vision optics are also provided, but suffer even more from the poor spectral resolution.

1 x IMBA-1PS, providing detection and tracking of active Protoculture-powered devices. For detection of a high-power Veritech fighter (such as an Alpha), good resolution extends out to 300 m, fair resolution out to 600 m, and poor resolution out to 1.7km.
A typical Destroid is detectable at slightly more than half these distances, a Cyclone at four percent of these distances, and a Gallant rifle at about one percent of these distances. Similar mecha in service with the Regess from around 2035 to around 2040 operated equivalently at about twenty-five percent of the above ranges. Prior to around 2035, no Invid mecha were mounted with protoculture sensors.

VII. Armament:

Two forearm-mounted anti-personnel laser cannons. Each shot delivers 30 kJ of laser energy. The capacitors have a 0.75 second recharge cycle for a firing rate of 75 shots/minute/cannon at full power (lower power settings enable a higher rate of fire).

Note: This larger weapon is power-intensive, and the Malar can not operate in a combat situation for prolonged periods due to rapid protoculture depletion.

VIII. Armor:

The armor of the Hive Guard is composed of a composite of metals, ceramics, and organics unique to Invid manufacture. Research continues into the composition of this material, though results from X-ray crystallography, NMR, and mass spectroscopy studies remain classified. The armor stops all small arms fire, provides fair protection against heavier infantry weapons, such as a 12.7mm machinegun round, and poor resistance to light mecha-mounted weaponry, such as the Zentraedi 22.3mm HE autocannon round.

Optional : Heavy shield. A 1.2m diameter metal shield of a denser and more resistant variant of the Invid mecha armor material. It has some limited effectiveness against anti-personnel weapons and poor performance against armor piercing weapons.

All Invid mecha provide full protection from nuclear, biological, and chemical hazards, using a sealed overpressure cockpit environment.

IX. Development:

The Malar is a relatively small armor worn by individual Invid. The suit is used both for internal patrols inside Hives and for foot patrols inside occupied territories, making it a truly ubiqitous mecha in the Invid arsenal. However, due to the nature of the hive society, this mecha is seen by few humans, excepting those who live near hives. Because of this, the Tirolians and the Zentraedi dubbed this mecha the 'Hive Guard', which reflects the function it was most often observed in.

The Malar, unlike the larger Invid mecha except the Gosu command battloid, is more or less humanoid in shape. There are of course major differences, such as the large elongated sensor housing that serves as the unit's head, the triangular legs and the cobra hood-like back armor, but the overall style of the suit is humanoid. The pilot is positioned in the center of the suit, with its arms and legs extending part-way into those of the mecha, like the Zentraedi Quaedluun-Rau. In addition, the pilot must retract its snout-like head into the body (a vestigal capability the Invid retain) to fit into the cramped power armor. Also unique for Invid mecha designs is the additional defense system (a high density shield), as well as the placing of the Malar's built-in weapons. The latter are two anti-personnel laser cannons hidden in the forearms, and if needed these can be augmented with a large bazooka-like plasma rifle.

Over the years, observations of Invid deployments have seen the Malar assigned to all the tasks for which the Scout and Trooper mecha are too large. In addition, during the first three decades of this century the Malar came to be used more and more as a frontline infantry mecha, perhaps due to protoculture supply problems within the Invid armies. However, the Malar is really too small to engage full-size mecha such as the Regult or the Expeditionary Forces' Alpha fighter.

The closest corresponding mecha is the Cyclone infantry mecha, but compared to the human design, the Malar is more power-intensive while in flight, has an engine more prone to overheating, and carries insufficient armor to withstand the Cyclone's weapons. However, with the better power supply situation on Earth, the Invid returned to the Scout and Trooper as their main combat mecha, and assigned the Malar once again its designed support role.